mbigs



J. MEIGS.

Breech Loading. Fire Arm.

Patented Aug. 18, 1868 u PETERS n-m-mn w, Wm. 41 e JOE v, 'MEIGS, or WASHINGTON, DISTRIGT O COLUMBIA.

Letters Patent-No. 81,109, dated August 18, 1868; an'tedatecl August 5, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREEGE-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOE V. MEIGS, of Washington city, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the. accompanying drawings, which make part of this specification, and

in which- Figure 1 represents a view partly in elevationand partly in section of agun embracing my improvements the portions enclosing the breech being represented as transparent, and the parts being shown in the attitude they assume at the moment of firing. V

Figure 2 representsa similar view of the sanie,.with the breech opened. The hammer in this figure is shown as being at full cock. I

Figures 3, 4, and 5, respectively represent views of the front, the left side, and the rear of the breech-block.

Figures 6 and 7 respectively represent side and edge views of the retractor and insertcr.

Figure 8 represents a device for preventing the ramrorl from slipping from its socket.

FigureQ is a view in perspectiveof the locking-spring catch.

It is the object of my'invention to provide an eflieient breech-loading small-arm, and the invention herein claimed, consists in certain improvements, hereinafter more fullydescribecl, on the gun patented by me, May 22, 1866.

In the accompanying drawings, which represent a Springfield muzzle-loading rifled musket of the present day, converted into a breech-loader on my improved plan, the barrel A is shown as inserted into its stock 13, the outlines of which are indicated by dotted lines. .An oblong slot or mortise, C, is cut vertically through the barrel, just in front of the breech-plug. This slot is somewhat wider than the bore, and its length somewhat exceeds that of the cartridge. A breech-block, D,-fits:and slides loosely in this slot, at right angles to the bore of the gun, being controlled inits movements by a bent lever or link, E, pivoted at its lower end to the front end of the guard-plate F, which slides in-a longitudinally-slotted guide, G, secured to the under side of the stock. The trigger H and guard I are attached to the sliding plate.

The breech-block, as shown in figs. 3, 4, and 5,.is formed with a recess, d,in its under side at the rear end, in order that the pivot e of the link, may slide under it a short distance without lifting it. I

A horizontal slot, d, is out in the left side of this block; The end of this slot has an open flaring mouth, (Z The block is out down so as to leave avert-ical flange, i on its front left corner, and a long vertical opening between the left side of the block, and the wallet the breech. The block is made toplay loosely in its slot, and has on its right-hand side a projection, cl, which serves as a. firing-pin, as hereinafter explained.

The breech-block is moved up and down by the link E, constructed (as shown in figs. 6 and 7,) inthe form of a bent lever, and having a guide-pin, 6 0 on each side. The lower end of this link, it will be observed, is pivoted to the slidingguard by a pin,f, on' the guard entering an eccentrically-formed hole, 0, on the link, by which arrangement the link is allowed a slight play on its pin. The outer pin e on the link, plays in'a'slot, It, in a. plate, K, bolted to the guardplatc, while the inner pin e traverses the groove al in the breech-block. A llooh','c on the upper end of the link, serves to cntract the cartridge.

' A locking-spring, L, takes into a notch, [,in the guard-plate G, when shoved forward, and holds the breech securely at the moment of discharge.

The projection h on the trigger, releases thcspring from the notch, arid leaves the guard free to slide back.

The same result may be attained'by a spring-catch, M, arranged underneaththe guard-plate G, and at the back of the guard, so as to slide with it. A projection or corner, m, catches into a corresponding depression, m, in the guard-plate. A clasp, m on this spring-catch, embraces the back of the trigger-guard and strengthens the catch. The catch is released by pressing forward with the fingers, which naturally rests behind the guard in firing.

I have found that in the rapid firing of breech-loading small-arms, the ordinary catch is entirely insufficient to prevent the ramrod from slipping from its socket. To hold the rafmrod securely in place, I insert a screw, 0, into the stock near the muzzle from the inner .side, so that it may project a little, and cute. notch, 0, into the ramrod O. The ramrod is pushed into its socket, and: either turned until its socket o' engages with'the catch, or it may be sprung over the pin, and shoved in until the pin enters the socket. It is withdrawn in either of these ways. i 4 p It is deemednnnecessary here to describe in detail the' construction of the otherparts of the gun, as 'the construction of the Springfield musket is well understood. I

The operation of my gun is as follows In fig. 1, the parts are shownin the positions they respectively occupy at the moment of firing, in which it will be seen that the pulling of theitrigger releases the holding-catch L. It will also beobserved that the breech-block D is pushed into the slot C, in line with the barrel, where it is upheld by the pin e, and thatas the force of the explosion is exerted in the line of the slot d, the force of the explosion would act on the breech-plug, instead of-on the supporting-pin.

As the guard is retracted, the pinf moves backwards in a line nearly parallel to the bore, the outer pin e slides down the inclined front part of the slot 71, while the inn'er pin e slides forward in the, groove (2 The block D is thus drawn down, while the head or hook e of the link E, moves forward and hooks over theilange of the exploded cartridgc-shelha slight groove being left in one side of the barrel for that purpose. At the moment the hook e strikes the cartridge-case, the pin e passes from the inclined. to the horizontal part of the slot 70, and the lower part of the link E is nearly horizontal. The continued'backward movement of the guard then withdraws the exploded shell so quickly, that it is thrown out by its contact with the projection :1 The slot 70 is slightly inclined upward, and the backward movement of the link raises the'hook e until the guard' reaches the limit of its backward stroke, when the parts occupy the position shown in fig. 2. It will thus be seen that the link or lever Ehas three fulera, all movable, namely, one on the guard, one in the slot is, and one in the block.

In fig. 2, the parts are shown in' the proper positio'n for loading, except that the-hammer should be down,

as in fig. 1. The cartridge is now dropped into the slot 0, resting on the breech-block, andthe guard shoved forward. The relative arrangement of thepi-ns and slots is such that the hook eon the link or lever E moves forwardhorizontally nearly the whole length of the breech-block before the latter begins to rise, and consequently shoves thecartridge into the chamber of the gun before the block rises. The moment the cartridge is implace, the pin ,e begins to ascend the inclined part. of the slot is, the pinf moves up in its socket e, pressing at its front side, thus depressing the books of the lever E, taking advantage of the curvature of the flange of the cartridge-shell, and lifting its hook a over the edge, allowing the lever E to-move forward, so that its face shall come to the line of the end of the barrel, where the front edge of the lever comes in contact with the projection dflpreventing itsjamming upon the head of the shell, and the breech-blockiis rapidly thrown up into line with the bore." 7 As theblock rises, the hooked end of the lever or link E also rises, and movesbackward until it assumes the position shown in fig. 1, in which position its pin 6 holds the breech-blockvinplace, while out of th way of the soldier, and subject to no strain from the explosion. The gun is now cooked and fired in the-usual way. I i I I My invention is adapted to the use'of a firingrpin for either oiriui or central-fire cartridge, but I have made the block itself the firing-pin. The breech-block, when in place, does not quite touch the hammer, and fits the slot 0, so as to resist the explosion in case of rupture of the shell, will permit the gases to escape above and below the block, and thus avoid the rupture of the gun from; this too common cause. it projection, 01, rests against the primed flange of the cartridge. I have found, by eziperiment, that while there is no perceptible play of the block in its slot, yet the hammer, when sprung, strikes with suflicient force to explode the charge withcertainty.

Asthe block moves down after the explosion, the hook e moves forward and hooks over the flange of the cartfidge to draw it out. Should it fail -to extract the shell at first, owing to the flange tearing away, the

movement can be repeated by sliding the guard forward until it catches, and its peculiar mode of striking over and forward, tends torotatcthc shell, and thus presents a new edge-to the hook e which is a very great advantage, and one possessed by no other rctractor with which I am familiar.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have secured an eilicient breech-loader, by thc combination of three simple elements, viz, a sliding guard, a sliding-breech block, and a link or lever connecting the 7, two, and that the gunis loaded by two simple movements, a forward one of the guard parallel to the bore, and:

an upward one of the breech-block transversely to the line of the bore, and that the cartridge is expelled by reversing. this movement.

The lever E, it will be observed, serves both-to insert the loaded cartridge and to expel the exploded one;'

it alsoacts as a'linlc to connect the sliding guard with the breech-blockfI have therefore termed it indifi'erently a lever, a link," or a retractor.

What I claim herein as new,'and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. The loose breech-block D, constructed, arranged, and operating as and for the purposes described.

2. The bent lever or link E, constructed, arranged, and operating as and for the purpose described.

3. The hook e constructedas described, and vibrating in a vertical plane, to push in the cartridge as the breeehuis. closed, and booking over the edge of the cartridge-shell as the breech is opened.

4. A cartridge'inscrting and extracting-lever, having three movable fnlcra or working pivots, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the sliding gu'ard,-the vibrating-lever E, and the breech-block, all constructed and arranged for joint operation as described.

6. The combination of 0. vertically-sliding horizontally-slotted breeeh-block, with 5. vibrating-lever, having a. pin Working in the slot of the breech-block, whereby the block is hehiup to close the breech securely without strain on the lever.

7. The combination, as desorihed, with the hammer, of the vertically-moving loose breech-block, constructed as desorihed, whereby the hlock ean be used as a firing-pin.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

' 'JOE V. MEIGS.

Witnesses:

' BALTIS DE Lone,

J. W. MISTER. 

